Indian hockey player Varun Kumar, who won the Arjuna Award, was charged with raping a minor and booked under the POCSO act by the Bengaluru Police.
The 22-year-old said in her police statement that she first spoke with Varun Kumar on Instagram in 2018. Later, when the girl was seventeen, Kumar made her a marriage commitment and sexually assaulted her several times. The complainant claims she was 17 when they initially communicated on Instagram in 2019 while the hockey team was practicing at the Sports Authority of India’s Bengaluru center. The victim, who was chosen as a 16-year-old for an SAI volleyball coaching scheme in Jnana Bharathi, Bengaluru, was also practicing on the same campus.
Under the terms of Sections 4 (2), 5 (L), and 6 of the POSCO Act and IPC Section 376 (3), a charge has been filed against Kumar, a member of the Tokyo Olympics bronze-winning squad, for raping a woman under the age of sixteen and for 420 (cheating).
Where does the case evolve?
The victim said in her complaint that Kumar sexually exploited her promised marriage.
“One year ago, following my father’s death, the accused came to console me and then ceased calling me, ignoring my calls. When I decided to file a police report, he began talking to me again,” the complaint stated. “When I asked him for marriage, he said both should remain as they are without marriage.” According to the accuser, Kumar threatened to expose her images on social media if she refused to marry him.
In her complaint, the woman stated that Kumar promised her marriage. “The accused maintained that he would make my family agree to our marriage and said until then we will stay as friends.” She said that Kumar assaulted her over a dinner affair in Bengaluru despite her warning him she was a child. “After five years of believing in marriage vows, I loved him. He had taken me to various hotels in Bengaluru for years and sexually exploited me,” she said in the lawsuit.
Who is Varun Kumar, the Player booked under the POSCO Act?
Varun Kumar was on the Indian Olympic standby list for Tokyo. He is now practicing in Bhubaneswar with the national squad in preparation for the upcoming FIH Pro League. Earlier there were rumors that Kumar was on run but it got confirmed by one of the Indian Hockey official of his presence with Indian team. On February 10, the Indian squad will meet Spain in their first match.
Kumar is from Himachal Pradesh, and he made his India debut in 2017. He was on the Indian standby list for the Tokyo Olympics and is presently training with the national squad in Bhubaneswar ahead of FIH Pro League. Varun Kumar was received the Arjuna Award in 2021 and was just promoted to DSP in the Punjab.
